Jeweler's Loupe for Ground Glass Focusing

[nick_sandin]

<p>Hello All,<br>

I just purchased my first view camera, a Tachihara 4x5. I know I need a magnifier of some sort for critical focusing on the ground glass. I already have a 10x jeweler's loupe that I picked up at a flea market years ago and is of pretty decent quality. Looking at the prices of purpose-built focusing loupes, I'm tempted to just stick with the jeweler's loupe for focusing. My first impression is that it works well enough. I'm just curious to hear from anyone who owns a purpose built focusing loupe if it is that much better than one not designed for that purpose.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Nick</p>

[colin carron]

<p>For a long time I used an old 50mm f2 manual aperture standard lens which worked well though was large and heavy compared with most loupes.</p>

[Monophoto]

<p>I've always used a 10x loupe also, but the 'experts' claim that a lower power loupe is better.</p>

<p>The problem with a powerful loupe is that it allows you to see details. If you are too focused on details, the overall composition can suffer. Also, there can be areas within the overall scene that are not well focused even though the area you studied with the loupe is. </p>

[bob_salomon]

10x is far too strong. You need a good 4, 5 or 6 x loupe with an adjustable eyepiece so you can focus your eye on the

image plane.

[sheldonnalos]

<p>I've owned really nice loupes for ground glass focusing, a 6x sylvestri tilting loupe was probably my favorite for 4x5, very nice and optically excellent. I'm currently shooting 8x10 and my "loupe" is an all plastic 8x slide viewing loupe marked "Canon" that my local photography shop gave me for free. I do have a nicer, heavier 4x Fuji loupe that has a focusing eyepiece but the cheap-o loupe is lighter and simpler, and does the job fine.</p>

<p>As long as you can see the ground glass with your loupe, and can discern when the image is in or out of focus as you make adjustments, you're fine. </p>

[PapaTango]

<p>Once upon a time, I did not need a loupe--as I had superpowers that allowed me magnification vision on demand! Now before everyone concludes that I am just plain nuts--those here who are moderately or severely myopic (nearsighted) are already smiling. To get this superpower, all I had to do was take my glasses off... :-)</p>

<p>Now, not everyone is a -7 diopter myope--and can get a 3-4X bump by pulling their glasses down on their nose. Since having cataract surgery a year ago, neither am I anymore. A mere mortal, chained to reading glasses. Like Sheldon, I have an inexpensive plastic 8x slide loupe that has a very nice wide angle view of things. I have been toting this around for 10 years--I even used it to fine tune before the surgery. On mine, I drilled a 1/8" hole near the bottom side and have a neck lanyard tied to it for convenience.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>I have loupes in all strengths, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10x, some are good others are cheap.<br /> My advice is to use 4x, or 6x if you like more power. As Bob says, diopter adjustment make things more accurate.<br /> Plain cheap loupes work better than nothing, but a reasonably good adjustable loupe is something I cannot live without.</p>

[michael_darnton2]

<p>I use a Kodak slide projector lens. I think it's a 4" f2.8. They're about $10 on Ebay. I drilled a hole in the skirt on the back, and tied a shoelace through it to hang on my neck or my camera. I think I have four of them now, spotted with different cameras.</p>

[joseph_dickerson]

<p>I used +6 diopter reading glasses...worked a treat.<br>

JD</p>

[drew bedo]

<p>Sure—a proper photographer's loupe is optically a good method: However, I have had good results with prescription reading glasses and a jeweler's "Optivisor" head-set magnifier, which leaves both hands free and helps keep the dark cloth off of my face.</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>You just need a good "Linen-tester" or small wide-field inspection magnifier of 4 to 6x power. A Jeweller's loupe has too small a field of view, and most have poor colour correction.</p>

<p>I agree that 10x is too powerful. All you'll see is the grain of the GG screen, when what you want to see is the detail in the actual image. If you get a cheap inspection magnifier with a transparent "skirt" to let light in, you can easily turn it into a dark-viewing magnifier by taping over the skirt, and this makes it easier to use on a GG.</p>